Michael Clarke finished his one day career in grand style, by leading Australia to World Cup glory on home soil over New Zealand.

And just like MS Dhoni four years before him, Clarke played a major role with the bat scoring 74 from 72 balls in his final one day innings to make sure the Aussies claimed their fifth World Cup crown.

The greatest prize in the game was sealed for the 33-year-old after his side romped to a seven-wicket win with 16.5 overs to spare over their nearest rivals who simply ran out of steam at the last.

Clarke wanted to be there at the end, just like Dhoni, as his side chased down the 184 they needed to win, but with nine still required he chopped on from a Matt Henry delivery to take a much deserved ovation on his own.

He tapped the black armband on his left arm and looked to the sky in acknowledgement of his late friend Phil Hughes, and he knew the job was done.

The one day cricket retired Clarke now joins Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting as an Australian World Cup-winning captain and take his place in history. The baton will now be passed on to Steve Smith who played his part in the day’s success too with yet another fifty.

Finals rarely live up to their pre-match hype and sadly this was no different as the Kiwis flopped on the biggest stage at the biggest ground that hosted a world record 93,013 spectators.

It might have been their first ever World Cup final, but so much more was expected of the New Zealanders who had proven themselves to be the second best team in the tournament.

Full house: 92,000 were present at the Melbourne Cricket Ground watch the action (Image: Getty)

They had blasted their way through the campaign, but this time they were denied.

Brendon McCullum, so daring and so brave as the Blackcaps skipper throughout the tournament, was stopped at source in the first over for a duck and it set the tone for the rest of the game.

The high octane thrill-seekers that have been the New Zealand team just couldn’t get going against a brilliant and powerful Australian bowling attack and the match was more or less settled by a score of 183 all out in 45 overs.

Mitchell Starc turned up the heat from the first over when he bowled McCullum with a full and straight thunderbolt and from there the Kiwis were up against it.